Ntfs, exfat, fat32, ext4 file systems explained utilize. Paragon also makes a driver ntfs for mac to mount a windows ntfs disk on your mac. Your best option is to format the external drive on the windows machine using exfat as it will do it correctly, the mac has issues formatting exfat for windows. After many years of using ntfs formatted disks except mac internal hd and my backup external hard. I am ganesh gandhi, an independent advisor, 18 years experienced windows guide. Your mac can read the files on an ntfs formatted wd elements drive but cant update those files. Microsoft exfatntfs for usb has the latest version of 3.
Ntfs, on the other hand, is fully readwrite compatible with windows from windows nt 3. However fat32 has an edge over ntfs as well, which is you can readwrite both from windows and mac into a partition with this format. No third party drivers necessary for either platform to both read and write data. Besides paragon, the other main commercial software is mediafours macdrive. However, you wont be able to move files in the other direction, from mac to pc. For external hard drives or ssds, ntfs is the best choice for anybody who is entirely or primarily windows based, while exfat is probably the best choice that anybody who regularly shares files between a pc and a mac. Same as ntfs system, it has a file size limit of 16eb estimated at the time of its release in 2016.
Need to format an external hard drive for mac and windows. If you want maximum performance without size limitations then go for ntfs. Mounty for ntfs this is a free software for mac that enables the user to write on ntfs drives on mac. A file system uses a set of rules to control how data is stored and retrieved on a storage device. Fat32 has several limitations, including a 4 gb perfile limit. Choosing the right format for your external hard drive b. Download microsoft exfatntfs for usb for pc mac windows 7,8,10 and have the fun experience of using the smartphone apps on desktop or personal computers. The native windows file system is ntfs, which is only partially compatible with mac os x. Use an external usb drive across windows and mac osx. Thus, many users would prefer the exfat file system to compatible with both windows and mac. If you plan on using an external drive with both macs and pcs, you should format the disk with the exfat file.
If you wish to format external hard drive in exfat follow the steps below. After choosing the best format for usb drive according to your needs, you might start to wonder. Exfat luckily is a file format that both your windows pc and your mac can use. Macos extended if you primarily use mac with a secondary exfat partition, or ntfs if you mainly use windows. Now your usb flash drive is formatted with ntfs format. Format your external drive with exfat for both mac and. If you plan on using an external drive with both macs and pcs, you should format the disk with the exfat file system instead. One is to use a paid 3rd party tool to add ntfs write support to a mac, such as paragons ntfs for mac tool. Fat32, ntfs, and exfat are the three file systems users commonly use for windows system. How to partition external drive to use separately with. How to format a drive in exfat so it works on both windows. How to format a hard drive for both windows and mac. Aside from all that, ntfs has several cool features, including. Formatting a ssd as ntfs or exfat data backup spiceworks.
Microsoft ntfs for mac by paragon software supports all the versions of ntfs from windows nt 3. Before digging in, select a primary format youll use the most. As mentioned before, macs can only read ntfs formatted hard drives by default. Your mac may be able to see your ntfs formatted drive automatically, but not write to it. Which file system should i use to backup files on my. Ntfs or the new technology file system is the current windows default. The sony ps3 and the ps4 do not support ntfs at all.
How to share an external hard drive between mac and windows. Just right click on the disk drive in windows file explorer and choose format, then you will get the options. Understandably, it is the default file system for windows pcs. Compared with fat32, exfat doesnt have the limitations of fat32. Whats the difference between fat32, exfat, and ntfs. It is a file system that readonly allowed on mac os x. By default, macs use hfs, while pcs use ntfs, which are not compatible with each other. How to mount ntfsformatted external hard drive on mac. Microsoft has an exfat update for win xp if you need it for that. Its not possible to convert hdd from ntfs to exfat without formatting. Format a usb drive as exfat for mac and windows compatibility. Halo pal, whether youre formatting an internal drive, external drive, usb flash drive, or sd card, windows will give you the choice of ntfs, fat32, and exfat. Windows, mac readonly, linux readonly for some distributions, microsoft xbox. Because the utility is free, some highlights based on its service are provided.
Yes, you can format windows partition in fat32 too but it has some limitations like file size cannot be larger than 4gb. Install ntfs 3g for mac os x free some have reported problems using tuxera approx 33usd. The format dialog in windows doesnt explain the difference, so ill fat32 fat32 is t. But this also has the advantage of being light and more efficient with its limited features as compared to ntfs. This file system can be read and written by both mac and windows with support for. This article will illustrate to the differences between the three, analyzing their pros and cons, compatibility and usage in an allrounded way. So, if you want to use an external hard drive on both windows and mac, you need to format it to a filesystem that is compatible with windows pc and mac. How enable ntfs writing on mac write to ntfs drives mactip. In this guide were using exfat instead of fat32, another filesystem that both windows and mac can read and write to, because fat32 has a maximum 4gb file size limit whereas exfat can work with files as large as 16eb exabytes. Let us looks at some of the most notable differences between exfat vs ntfs vs fat32.
It is compatible with mac, windows, and linux, but doesnt work with the majority of other hardware devices. For a hard drive to be able to be read and written to in both a pc and mac computer, it must be formatted to exfat or fat32 file format. Format wd elements for mac and pc have your drive for both. Fat32 is an older file system thats largely relegated to usb flash drives and other external drives. Ntfs windows nt file system readwrite ntfs from native windows.
How to format usb to fat32ntfsexfat on windows and mac. You can even format it that way in os x under snow leopard or later. Use the exfat file system and never format your external. Right click on start and select command prompt admin. Be sure to either make your drive safe to remove or to avoid unplugging it while its reading or writing to the disk. Fat32 works for both oses, but has a 4gb size limit per file, so it. Seagate backup plus is preformatted exfat for compatibility with both mac and windows computers. Taking into account the file size and volume size limitations, fat32 also remains an option for external drives that need to be. Windows uses ntfs for its system drive, and its also ideal for other internal drives.
Quickly format an external hard drive for mac and windows pc. Plug your wd elements drive into either and they can see all the files on the drive. Windows uses ntfs for its system drive and, by default, for most nonremovable drives. Most mac users will be better off formatting external drives with exfat, ensuring they work well on both windows and mac os x without any extra work. I would like to have here a good discussion for using exfat vs ntfs on mac. This file system can be read and written by both mac and windows with support for single files of up to 128 petabytes. So if you need to get files from a pc to your mac, ntfs is a decent option. This file system is supported by mac, windows, and android.
If you dont see it, you can also try 3rd party software. How do i make ntfs format for partition i apple community. By default, macos can only mount windows ntfs volumes in readonly mode, and users cant write to ntfs volumes or drives in macos. Fat32, ntfs and exfat are the types of disk file system. How to format an external hard drive for mac and windows. Its design is rather simple for ease of mounting ntfs drives on mac and providing the drives with write support.
Readwrite fat32 from both native windows and native mac os x. How to choose the best format for usb drive on windowsmac. The fat32 file system is compatible with windows, mac and the linux operating systems. It is also compatible with gaming consoles as well as with any device with a usb port. The software is free, and its size is less than an mb.
How do i convert an ntfs external hdd to exfat without. Even microsofts own xbox 360 failed to support ntfs, but microsoft finally included ntfs support with the xbox one. How to encrypt external hard drive for macwindows usage. The other is to format your drives with the exfat file system. However, you cant write or delete files from a mac. Mac s on os x cant format or write to ntfs formatted drives, they can read from it though. Although ntfs file system is developed by microsoft, but macos can only read ntfs external hard drive and cannot write ntfs external hard drive, you need to install extra ntfs for mac app if you want to write ntfs external hard drive on mac. We live in a windows world, so crossplatform compatibility for our usb flash disks and hard disk, is essential.
Seagate backup plus hub user manual optional formatting. It is recommended to use ntfs if youre working strictly with windows computers. It is very easy to format a storage device to any of the three file systems on a windows computer. Thus, it is a hassle when you try to move a file from mac to windows ntfs drives. However, like the scenario said, windows cant normally read mac formatted drives. Microsoft ntfs for mac by paragon software is able to get access to compressed files and folders, it has no problems with sparse files and enables all the needed operations with files and folders with security permissions.
New and rising app, microsoft exfatntfs for usb developed by paragon technologie gmbh for android is available for free in the play store. Fat32 is an older file system thats not as efficient as ntfs and doesnt support as big a feature set, but does offer greater compatibility with other operating systems. Its wellknown that windows os relies on ntfs, while macos uses hfs plus or apfs. Your choice is msdos aka fat32 or exfat and i go over the difference in the video. Macs can read files on ntfs drives, but it cannot write to them. One of the consequences of this is that exfat drives are a little more vulnerable to data corruption from sudden power losses.
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